- Title: At least seven dead in Ivory Coast floods
- Date: 26th June 2020
- Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (JUNE 25, 2020) (REUTERS) CAR STUCK IN FLOODED STREET IN RIVIERA PALMERAIE NEIGHBOURHOOD, WOMEN STRUGGLING TO WALK IN STREET THAT HAS TURNED INTO A FLOWING RIVER FLOODED YARD IN RESTAURANT ANOTHER CAR STUCK IN FLOODED STREET MAN'S FEET WALKING THROUGH THE WATER WOMAN CARRYING BASKET ON HER HEAD CROSSING FLOODED STREET OVERTURNED CAR AND WATER FLOWING IN A BROKEN DRAIN PIPE WATER GUSHING FROM BROKEN DRAIN PIPE OVERTURNED CAR IN FLOODED STREET WATER FLOWING IN STREET PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS FLOODED ROAD VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CLEANING UP FRONT OF SHOP AFTER THE RAIN STOPPED MAN POURING MUD AND WATER INTO THE FLOODED STREET WOMAN SWEEPING WATER OUT OF SHOP
- Embargoed: 10th July 2020 16:16
- Keywords: Abidjan Ivory Coast floods weather
- Location: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
- City: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
- Country: Ivory Coast
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Floods
- Reuters ID: LVA001CK0CG1Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: At least seven people died in flash floods during torrential rains on Thursday (June 25) which have pummelled Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan over two days, leaving a wake of destruction.
The country's meteorological services said on Friday (June 26), more rainfall is expected later in the day and on Saturday (June 27), adding that the worst could be expected.
The administrative head of the Abidjan area, Vincent Toh Bi Irié, said on Facebook that "in some places, the rainfall could reach 300 millimetres today, or six times the threshold for a critical alert."
He urged residents not to go to areas where there is a risk of flooding, and told people in areas prone to landslides to leave.
Amankou Gabin, the head of the civil protection unit, told Reuters that the provisional death toll was at seven between Thursday and Friday, adding that rescue operations were still ongoing.
The West African nation is in the middle of its April to end of October rainy season which sometimes cause deadly floods and landslides.
The city's weak drainage system was quickly overwhelmed on Thursday.
Major thoroughfares were flooded with cars and debris swept away by the gushing flood, while residents in low-lying homes were forced to seek safety.
Gabin said the situation had been made worse constructions over the years that do not respect urban planning. He said homes have been built in storm basins where the rainwater was supposed pass through to reach Abidjan's lagoon.
(Production: Thierry Gouegnon, Yvonne Bell) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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